Application Architect Java

Job DescriptionWe are looking for an experienced Application Architect - Java to design, architect, and lead the development of scalable, secure, high-performance enterprise applications. The ideal candidate will have strong hands-on experience with Java, Spring Boot, Microservices, REST APIs, cloud platforms, distributed systems, and modern application architecture patterns.The Application Architect will work closely with engineering teams, business stakeholders, product owners, and enterprise architects to define technical solutions, establish architecture standards, and drive modernization initiatives.Key ResponsibilitiesDefine and implement application architecture and technical strategies aligned with business requirements.Design scalable, resilient, secure, and high-performing Java-based enterprise applications.Lead architecture and design for Spring Boot and Microservices based applications.Define application components, interfaces, APIs, data flows, integration patterns, and deployment architecture.Develop and maintain High-Level Design (HLD) and Low-Level Design (LLD) documentation.Evaluate existing applications and recommend modernization, re-platforming, refactoring, or migration strategies.Establish and enforce architecture standards, design principles, coding standards, and best practices.Provide technical leadership and guidance to Java developers and engineering teams.Review application designs, code, and technical implementations to ensure architectural compliance.Design and implement RESTful APIs and enterprise integration solutions.Work with distributed systems and define appropriate patterns for scalability, availability, fault tolerance, and performance.Collaborate with DevOps teams to define CI/CD, containerization, deployment, and observability strategies.Participate in technology evaluations, proof-of-concepts, and architecture reviews.Identify technical risks, dependencies, bottlenecks, and opportunities for improvement.Ensure applications meet enterprise requirements for security, performance, scalability, reliability, and maintainability.Work closely with cloud teams on application deployment and migration to AWS, Azure, or GCP.Mentor developers and promote engineering best practices across teams.Required Technical Skills10+ years of experience in software/application development, with significant experience in architecture and technical leadership.Strong hands-on expertise in Core Java (8/11/17/21).Excellent knowledge of Java, J2EE, Spring Framework, and Spring Boot.Strong experience designing and implementing Microservices architecture.Expertise in REST APIs, API design, integration patterns, and distributed systems.Experience with Spring Cloud, service discovery, configuration management, circuit breakers, and resiliency patterns.Strong knowledge of Object-Oriented Design, Design Patterns, SOLID principles, and clean architecture.Experience with relational databases such as Oracle, PostgreSQL, MySQL, or SQL Server.Experience with NoSQL databases such as MongoDB, Cassandra, or DynamoDB is preferred.Strong understanding of messaging/event-driven technologies such as Kafka, RabbitMQ, or similar platforms.Experience with Docker and Kubernetes.Strong understanding of CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices.Experience with cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or GCP.Good understanding of application security, authentication, authorization, OAuth2/OIDC, JWT, and secure API design.Experience with performance tuning, JVM optimization, logging, monitoring, and troubleshooting.Architecture & Design ExpertiseEnterprise Application ArchitectureMicroservices ArchitectureDistributed SystemsEvent-Driven ArchitectureDomain-Driven Design (DDD)API-First ArchitectureCloud-Native ArchitectureLayered / Hexagonal / Clean ArchitectureScalability & High AvailabilityFault Tolerance & ResilienceApplication IntegrationSecurity ArchitecturePerformance & Capacity PlanningDevOps & CloudDockerKubernetes / OpenShiftJenkins / GitHub Actions / GitLab CI / Azure DevOpsAWS / Azure / GCPInfrastructure and deployment automationCI/CDMonitoring and observabilityELK / SplunkPrometheus / GrafanaDevelopment & CollaborationGit / GitHub / GitLab / BitbucketMaven / GradleJUnit / MockitoAgile / Scrum methodologiesJira / ConfluenceCode reviews and technical documentationArchitecture Decision Records (ADRs)Preferred SkillsExperience with React or Angular and understanding of modern frontend integration.Experience with Kafka and event-driven microservices.Knowledge of GenAI/AI-enabled application architectures is a plus.Experience with legacy application modernization and migration.Experience working with large-scale enterprise applications.Strong understanding of API gateways such as Apigee, Kong, or AWS API Gateway.Experience with observability and distributed tracing using tools such as OpenTelemetry.TOGAF or other architecture certification is a plus.Key CompetenciesStrong architectural and problem-solving skillsExcellent communication and stakeholder managementTechnical leadership and mentoringAbility to translate business requirements into technical solutionsStrong analytical and decision-making capabilitiesAbility to work across multiple engineering teamsStrong ownership and accountabilityAbility to balance technical excellence with business prioritiesEducationBachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field.Experience Level10-15+ years of IT experience, including significant experience in Java application architecture, solution design, and technical leadership.If you want, I can also tailor this into a Java Application Architect JD with Microservices + AWS + Kafka + Kubernetes, which is often better suited for senior enterprise hiring.